Stanley

Did you know?

A few things about Stanley you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Stanley

Stanley Kubrick

American filmmaker (1928–1999)

Choose Stanley and your child shares a first name with Stanley Kubrick, an American filmmaker. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Stanley, like who?” Stanley Kubrick's Wikipedia article is available in 159 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Stanley Kubrick on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Phillip A. Harrington, an American photographer and staffer for Look magazine between 1949–1971, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 6,143 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Stanley, 278 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Stanley would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryStanley has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Stanleys, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1917, when it ranked #34. Today it's #863, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendStanley has slipped 129 places over the last five years and now sits at #863. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedStanley is most popular in Michigan, where it ranks #487, followed by Colorado (#501) and Missouri (#518). It's in the top 1,000 in 20 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Old English, Stanley means “stony meadow”. Our records link it to English and German roots.

About the name Stanley

Stanley is a boy name of English and German origin meaning “stony meadow”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with S and ending in “-ley”. US birth records list Stanley for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1917, when it ranked #34 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #863, with 278 babies.

Origin:English namesGerman names